Fluid cleaner



Sept. 24; 1957 w. E. GOWAN 2,8o7,33

FLUID CLEANER Filed Sept. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-She et INVENTORQ W'I/ard EGowan p 24, 1957 w. E. GowAN 2,8o7,33

FLUID CLEANER Filed pt. 2. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

W//a/'d E. awan A TTORNE Y United States Patents O FLUID CLEANER Willard E. Gowan, Arnold, Mo., assignor of .one-half to Willard A. Lemmler, East St. Louis, Ill.

Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,243 .4. Claims. (Cl. 183-92) This invention pertains to apparatus for cleaning a flowng fluid, either gas or liqu'd. It is particularly adapted to cleaning of the air in air lines supplyng pneumatic devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple device which may be inserted in a fluid supply line, and which will extract foreign materials by the action of the flow of the fluid.

Generally stated, the device comprises a receptacle for receiving the foreign matter to be extracted. This receptacle is in the form of a cylindrical bowl. Two disk members, an upper and a lower one, are arranged to be placed one upon the other, their contacting faces being machined to a plane surface so as to make close contact with each other. These plates are formed with spiral half-ducts in their Contacting faces so that when they are joined together, a single duct is formed between them. A fluid inlet is formed in the top plate connectirg with said duct at its outer end, and a fluid outlet similarly connecting therewith at its center. The lower of these plates has an opening formed therein adjacent the inner end of the duct, which opening communicates with the interior of the receptacle when the two disks are in place to form a top closu'e therefor. By this arrangement, the fluid is conducted through the duct in a spiral path from the outer inlet to the inner outlet. The centrifugal force developed throws the foreign matter outward, so that when it arrives at said opening, it may drop into the receptacle.

A preferred embodment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a top view in perspective of the upper member of the top closure plate;

Fig. 2 is a similar top view of the lower member thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the bowl or receptacle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled device;

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 designates a bowl or receptacle, Fig. 4. This may be circular in form and of substantial depth, and provided with a rim-collar 2, pro viding an interior shoulder 3. A disk-shaped upper member 4 is formed with a ridge 5, the under side of which is formed into a half-duct 6, Figs. 6 and 7. This ridge and half-duct are of spiral shape, as shown in Fig. l. An inlet 7 communicates with said half-duct at its outer or peripheral portion, and an outlet connection 8 communicates with the same near the center of the disk member 4.

A complementary disk-shaped lower member 10 is formed with a complementary half-duct 11, which is arranged to match the upper half-duct 6 so that when the upper and lower members 4 and 10 are placed in contact with each other, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, these two omplementary half-ducts form a complete spiral duct ice leading from the inlet 7 to the outlet 8. The lower mem ber 10 is formed with an opening or channel 12 extend ing through said member to the bottom thereof, and com municating with the half-duct 11. A

The device is assembled by placing the upper and lower members 4 and 10 in contact with each other so" that the ducts 6 and 11 match to form a complete duct; They are then welded or otherwise Secured together. This assembly then forms a top plate or closure for the re ceptacle 1. It is placed within the rim 2 and upon the shoulder 3 and then welded to the rim 2, as indicated at 13, so as to render the whole device a unitary structure, The bowl 1 may be provided with an outlet 14, which may be provided with a valve 15 to control the flow therefrom.

This assembly is connected into a fluid line nsuch a way that the fluid enters at the inlet 7 and leaves at the outlet 8. As pointed out above, during its passage from the inlet to the outlet, it flows along the spital duct and the foreign matter is thrown outward and drops through the opening 12 into the bowl 14. The lower member 10 is further provided with a small air suction passage 16, Fig. 3, which is positioned to slope upward in the direction of flow of the fluid, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The flow of fluid through the duct creates a suction by induction in this passage which draws a slight V amount of fluid from the upper part of the receptacle 1,

which permits a certain amount of the stream to flow downward through the opening 12 to carry the foreign matter into the bowl.

The device is designed to be inserted in a fluid line which carries a stream having a velocity suflicient to produce a substantial centrifugal force as the stream passes through the spiral duct, 6-11. The orifice 12 is tangential to the spital duct and is arranged near the center of the spiral, where the centrifugal force is the greatest.

The valve 15 is ordinarily closed during operation, although it may be opened slghtly. The bowl or receptacle 1 is thereby a pocket to receive and trap heavier elements in the fluid stream.

The suction passage or vent 16 is positioned between the tangential orifice 12 and the inlet at the tail of the spiral, preferably in inductive relationship to the stream in the spiral duct, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus, a circuit is completed to permit heavy material from' the stream to enter the bowl or pocket 1, and the heavier fractions to be trapped therein, while the lighter fraction is recirculated to the stream through the vent 16.

The bowl 1 may be cleaned readily by opening the valve 15 when the device is on stream.

It will be seen that this device provides a unitary structure which can be connected in to a fluid line, and which will operate continuously to extract foreign matter by the centrfugal principle.

While the top closure has been described as formed of two parts Secured together, it may well be practical to form this as a single casting With the spiral duct formed therein by a core. Or, the spiral duct may be formed completely in either of the members 4% and 10.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole and improvements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

l. A fluid cleaner, comprising, a receptacle for the extracted matter, and a circular top closure plate for said receptacle formed with a fluid inlet in the top thereof adjacent its periphery, a fluid outlet in the top thereof adjacent its center, and a spral duct within and lying in the portion thereof connecting a portion of said duct adjaent i said outlet with the interior of said receptacle. t

2; Ai ci'eaner for extracting foreign matter-'from' fluid?, compri'sing, a' disk-shaped lower memher havihg a spital" half d'uct formed in the `wpfce' thei-cof; a' diskshaped upper` member having a matching spital* half i duet* for-med in itslower'fac'e and-havi`n^g a fiiid inlet* on t its'upper faceconnecting-*w'th the half-d'uct adjent theperiphery of the disk ami a fluid outlet connecti'ng* with the' half-duet adjacent the center-'of thedisk, areceptacle for the matter'- extracted, said upper and* lower'memiers' being joinedfi together 'f'ace to-face' with their half-dude matching to--fon'm 'a complete spital duct'` connectng saidinlet with Said ouflet, said joined` upper and" lower member s forrningatogether, a clbsu re'plate for said receptacl, and a passage formed' in' said Tower' member connectng the part of said duet adjacent said outlet with the nterior ofsaid receptacle.

3. A fluid cleaner in accordance with claim 2 having asmall' air-suction passage formed" in said lower' member connecting said receptacle with said duet` and sloping upward in the direction of fluid flow in said duct.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 1, fur ther comprising a port in said lower portion communicating with said receptacle whereby. a` small quantity of fluid is continually drawn from said' receptacle and returned to said spital duct.

References Ci'ted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PAENTS 

